Rather than setting a series of whimsical (unrealistic) goals, adopt one (or two) of these easy-to-keep skin care resolutions, and ensure a more luminous ‘you’ from the get-go…
{Make time for masking}
Masks might seem like a faff, but your skin will quickly show its gratitude. Even if you do it once a week, a face mask – be it mud, enzymatic or sheet – will give cells a much-needed jump-start.
You needn’t commit to a painstaking ‘pamper’ session – you can slather on a quick-fix treatment while you workout (some masks are see-through!), apply a super-charged overnight formula, or simply do a 5-minute ‘flash facial’ while your coffee brews.
The {Goddess Mask} by {Charlotte Tilbury} is ideal ahead of a special event, while Allies of Skin’s {1A All-Day Mask} is a super-charged day cream and defensive shield – a must for time-poor urban warriors.
{Learn to layer}
It’s all well and good blithely smothering skin with a cocktail of skin care concoctions, but what if you’re getting the order all wrong? Some formulations can’t penetrate others, so you’re wasting time, product… and £££s. Work from lightest to heaviest, and remember: oil can penetrate water but not the other way around – save oils ’til last, or use alone at night for an intensive moisture boost.
Read our {Foolproof Guide to Layering Skin Care}, to find out what goes where…
{Supplement your skin care}
‘Ingestibles’ are the easiest way to boost your beauty from the inside, out. A daily probiotic will help to promote levels of ‘good’ gut bacteria (which has an almost instant impact on skin clarity), while superfood powders – from {Spirulina} to {Moringa Leaf} – work on many health (and beauty!) levels; enhancing energy, fighting fatigue and promoting mental agility.
There are even supplements to rev your engine (we’re looking at you, Moon Juice {Sex Dust}) or promote skin’s strength and resilience (Perricone MD’s {Omega 3 Softgels}). Our {Supplement} shop is your oyster!
{Take time out}
Which means, proper time out. Take a bath. Read a book. BACK AWAY from your ‘phone and the screen. Not only does all that ‘blue’ light interrupt sleeping patterns, but there’s growing evidence to suggest it could impact negatively on skin’s health.
With tech-related disorders a cause for concern, make yourself a promise to ‘switch off’. Lace a steaming bathtub with a scoopful of Therapie’s {Himalayan Detox Salts}, which boast powdered amethyst to ‘absorb’ all of that nasty electro-magnetic radiation (and ease you towards a recuperative slumber).
{Drink more water}
Some of us are naturally ‘good’ at getting our aqua allowance, while others will stubbornly sit at their desks like camels, slowly shrivelling (and losing concentration).
Invest in an attractive water bottle – there are abundant options on the market – and set alerts to help remind you to ‘top up’. If the water’s directly in front of you, chances are you’ll actually drink it, which will benefit skin, help eliminate toxins and boost mental focus. It’s genuinely one of the best habits you can start – so start it NOW.
{Protect from pollution}
Just when you’d started to take sunscreen seriously, there’s now a new cosmetic nemesis. Pollutants are playing havoc with cell health, so it’s time to ‘up’ your defences. Brand’s are reacting to demand for free radical-fighting ‘shields’ – barriers between skin and the everyday environmental onslaught.
Protect yourself with a quick spritz of REN’s {Flash Defence Anti-Pollution Mist}, then ‘detox’ after work with Tata’s antioxidant {Purifying Mask}.